After 55 Years, El Paso’s Charcoaler Drive-In Is Closing

Time to grab that iconic burger and delicious onion rings one last time.

When El Pasoans who have moved out of the city come back to town, one of the spots they have to go to on the westside is the Charcoaler Drive-In hamburger restaurant. The restaurant's simple menu, same great taste and the memories the restaurant bring up have made it an institution in the borderland. Charcoaler has been around for 55 years, and many El Pasoans have stories about when they were growing up and going to the restaurant. Now, people have less than a month to get their Charcoaler fix.

According to a Facebook post, owner Bob Cox Jr. has decided to close the restaurant at the end of January.

When interviewed by the El Paso Times, Cox said he was closing the restaurant for "personal reasons:"

"I had been thinking of closing it for a year. But I didn't want to close it before my mom died. It was important to her."

His mother passed away at 92 years old back in October of a short illness. The owner said he will continue to sell the Charcoaler BBQ sauce and t-shirts on the restaurant's website. He is also talking to people about possibly selling the business. SO this may not be the end for the iconic restaurant.

Find out more about the history of the Charcoaler Drive-In hamburger restaurant in the in-depth interview by the El Paso Times.